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Study smarter, not harder, with these five tips
To quote Benjamin Franklin: "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." When it comes to effective studying, hitting the books with a plan in mind can save you a lot of wasted time and effort. Life is full of distractions and obligations that can put you off from studying; when you do have time to do the work you need to be intentional about how you use that study time. Follow these strategies to optimize your study sessions and you’ll master your studies in no time.
Don’t Cram
When it comes to studying, the tortoise beats the hare every single time. Don’t rush at the last minute to cram it all in before a big test; slow and steady will win the race. Studies have found that cramming is terrible for memory retention and recall. Part of the problem is that it doesn’t just take time for something to solidify in your memory; it also takes time to understand a concept. If you’re speeding through the material to cram it, you’re short-changing your ability to recognize and understand this information later. While you may be able to recall some crammed information at the test, you’ll have a harder time understanding the context for this information, which can be a real problem on your test if you have to solve any long-form questions.
“Time management is the key to success,” said Dr. Melanie Abts, Rio Salado College's Counseling Faculty Co-Chair. “Scheduling time each week to review your notes and study materials before you take a big test can make a big difference. Taking notes on readings and then reviewing those notes will really help students to understand the text.”
You also don’t want to do marathon study sessions. When it comes to our ability to focus and operate at peak mental capacity, less is more. The human mind needs breaks to recharge itself; you should ideally take a break every 45 minutes to an hour. Give your brain some time to cool off and shift back to neutral.
Set the Scene
An underrated part of studying is the where of it. Your study space is important: if you’re distracted or uncomfortable, you’re not going to be able to give the work your full attention. Find a place with good lighting where you can work comfortably for an extended period of time without being interrupted. If you live with family or roommates, set your study session for a time during the day where everyone else is busy or out of the house. Communicate to the people in your home the times you’ll be studying so they know you won’t be available. Remember to silence your devices and set away messages on your emails. Make sure there’s a clock in the room so you can track your time; you can even set alarms to give a reminder to step away and take a break during an intensive study session.
Eat Right, Study Right
Don’t study hungry. A hungry mind is a distracted one. Eat a light snack before studying, preferably something that isn’t too high in sugar (you don’t want to experience a sugar crash while studying). Nutrient-rich foods like fruits, nuts, and leafy greens have been linked to improved mental performance. Make sure you stay hydrated as dehydration can also significantly impact your cognition. If you’re looking for a drink that will energize you while also giving you a brain boost, green tea has got you covered.
An important thing to remember is that while you should have something in your stomach before you study, it’s best to avoid eating a large, heavy meal beforehand. It’s going to be hard to study if you eat a bunch of roast turkey before you crack open your books and get hit with a bad case of the tryptophan sleepies.
Use Your Own Words
A great way to bolster your memory skills is to reframe what you’re studying in your own words. Studies have found that writing notes by hand can improve your memory recall and retention.That’ll make it easier to recall because it will “feel” more natural to you since it’s your own words.
Repetition is an important part of reinforcing the connections between neurons that play a key role in memory formation and retention. Read things you’re trying to memorize out loud, and repeat it a few times. Just as with writing it down, you’ll want to rephrase information you want to remember with wording that will be easier for you to remember.
Don’t Rely on A.I.
LLMs and A.I. chatbots can be useful tools but don’t rely on them for your study sessions.
“A.I. can help but it is how you use it, not relying on it,” said Abts. “It can generate sample study questions and quiz you if you don’t have access to others at the time.”
Studies have found a worrying correlation between prolonged A.I. use and cognitive decline. If you rely on A.I. to summarize information that you’re trying to study or do the work of note-taking/rewriting for, that can have a negative effect on your ability to recall that information later. There can also be the issue of accuracy: A.I.s have a tendency to “hallucinate” false information and cite references that don’t exist. The only way to 100 percent be sure that what you’re studying is accurate is to actually do the work of reading it yourself.
Article by Austin Brietta
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